STCC Financial Aid - Code of Conduct

The STCC Financial Aid Office has adopted the following NASFAA and
Massachusetts Board of Higher Education Statements of Ethical Principles,
Massachusetts Board of Higher Education Code of Conduct and components
of the NASFAA Code of Conduct to ensure the highest ethical behavior
and professional practices.

NASFAA STATEMENT OF ETHICAL PRINCIPLES

The Financial Aid Office of Springfield Technical Community college
follows NASFAA's Statement of Ethical Principles, which provides that
the primary goal of the financial aid professional is to help students
achieve their educational goals through financial support and resources.
NASFAA members are required to exemplify the highest level of ethical
behavior and demonstrate the highest level of professionalism.

Actively participate in ongoing professional development and
continuing education programs to ensure ample understanding of statutes,
regulations, and best practices governing the financial aid programs.

Encourage colleagues to participate in the financial aid professional
associations available to them at the state, regional, or national
level and offer assistance to other aid professionals as needed.

Strive for transparency and clarity

Provide our students and parents with the information they need
to make good decisions about attending and paying for college.

Educate students and families through quality information that
is consumer-tested when possible. This includes (but is not limited
to) transparency and full disclosure on award notices.

Ensure equity by applying all need-analysis formulas consistently
across the institution's full population of student financial aid
applicants.

Inform institutions, students, and parents of any changes in
financial aid programs that could affect their student aid eligibility.

Protect the privacy of financial aid applicants

Ensure that student and parent private information provided
to the financial aid office by financial aid applicants is protected
in accordance with all state and federal statutes and regulations,
including FERPA and the Higher Education Act, Section 483(a)(3)(E)
(20 U.S.C. 1090).

Protect the information on the FAFSA from inappropriate
use by ensuring that this information is only used for the application,
award, and administration of aid awarded under Title IV of the Higher
Education Act, state aid, or aid awarded by eligible institutions.

NASFAA CODE OF CONDUCT FOR INSTITUTIONAL FINANCIAL AID PROFESSIONALS

The Financial Aid Office of Springfield Technical Community college
also follows components of NASFAA's Code of Conduct for Institutional
Financial Aid Professionals. An institutional financial aid professional
is expected to always maintain exemplary standards of professional conduct
in all aspects of carrying out his or her responsibilities, specifically
including all dealings with any entities involved in any manner in student
financial aid, regardless of whether such entities are involved in a
government sponsored, subsidized, or regulated activity. In doing so,
members of this institution will ensure that:

No action will be taken by financial aid staff that is for their
personal benefit or could be perceived to be a conflict of interest.

Employees within the financial aid office will not award
aid to themselves or their immediate family members. Staff will
reserve this task to an institutionally designated person, to
avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest.

If a preferred lender list is provided, it will be compiled
without prejudice and for the sole benefit of the students attending
the institution. The information included about lenders and
loan terms will be transparent, complete, and accurate. The
complete process through which preferred lenders are selected
will be fully and publically disclosed. Borrowers will not be
auto-assigned to any particular lender.

A borrower's choice of a lender will not be denied, impeded,
or unnecessarily delayed by the institution, even if that lender
is not included on the institution's preferred lender list.

No amount of cash, gift, or benefit in excess of a de minimis
amount shall be accepted by a financial aid staff member from
any financial aid applicant (or his/her family), or from any
entity doing business with or seeking to do business with the
institution (including service on advisory committees or boards
beyond reimbursement for reasonable expenses directly associated
with such service).

Information provided by the financial aid office is accurate,
unbiased, and does not reflect preference arising from actual or
potential personal gain.

All required consumer information is displayed in a prominent
location on the institutional web site(s) and in any printed materials,
easily identified and found, and labeled as Consumer Information.

Financial aid professionals will disclose to their institution
any involvement, interest in, or potential conflict of interest
with any entity with which the institution has a business relationship.

Purpose

The following Code of Conduct is proposed to govern the education
lending practices of Massachusetts public colleges in an effort to help
ensure integrity in all aspects of the student educational loan program.
This policy formalizes long-standing code of conducts practiced by public
institutions of higher education in their efforts to provide affordable
access to higher education.

Statement of Ethical Principals

The Board of Higher Education believes that the practice of institutions,
in recommending lenders for private loans, should be based on the cost
of the loan but may also consider such factors as the ease and speed
of the application process, funds disbursement, and quality customer
service, all of which must focus on the best interest and needs of students
and without direct regard for any financial advantage to the institution.

Institutions must inform students and their families that they may
select the lender of their choice, but to safeguard against predatory
lenders, the institutions should provide information to the student
that would enable them to make a decision regarding the best possible
loan option, with the most favorable terms, customer service, and lender
integrity.

STCC does not have a preferred lender list for private loans and
therefore does not promote any lender.

Code of Conduct

The primary goal of the institution and its financial aid staff is
to help students achieve their educational potential by providing appropriate
financial resources. To this end, this document provides institutions,
specifically financial aid professionals, with a set of principles that
serves as a common foundation for an acceptable standard of conduct.

Institutions and their Financial Aid Professionals shall:

Maintain the highest level of professionalism

Commit to the highest level of ethical behavior and refrain
from conflict of interest or the perception thereof

Respect the dignity and protect the privacy of students, and
ensure the confidentiality of student records and personal circumstances

Provide information to families for lenders that have proven
to provide the best combination of price, access to funds, and service
to students and families

Further, institutions shall ensure that all officers, trustees,
directors, employees or agents, and financial aid professionals
adhere to the following:

May not accept gifts, meals, travel, or any other non-trivial
items from student loan providers in connection with the institution's
loan business

May not accept, from a lending institution, money, equipment,
or printing services or anything of value that may provide or suggest
an advantage or grant a preferred status

If serving as a member of a lending institution's advisory board,
may not accept anything of value in exchange for this service, such
as "revenue sharing"